Page 21 - Shirehampton FC v Oldland Abbotonians 051022

OLDLAND ABBOTONIANS F.C.

2016/17 was a pivotal year as although the football side disappointed,
through fundraising and grants the club spent in excess of £70,000 on
ground improvements including safety fencing, pitch maintenance
equipment, a new stand and CCTV system. In 2017/18 the team were
led by Scott Armstrong and for most of 2018/19 by Jon Toy a former
player with a wealth of experience before Clayton Woodman and Steve
Cains returned to the club they had played for. These two have stepped
into the joint Chairman role from the summer of 2021 with the mangers
being former coaches Darren Sealey and Paul Weeks plus Kevin Goddard
on the coaching side who has brought with him along with a host of new,
keen and more importantly, local players.

The Reserves are managed by Steve Cains, Craig Durnell and our
Somerset Floodlit Under 18s boss Ryan Auchterlonie and from 2018/19
a newly formed adult third team, The Colts, plays in the Bristol & District
League, managed by Jamie White assisted by Colin Towler. Oldland has
often been described as a nursery for Bristol Rovers with Vic Lambden,
Peter Sampson, Brian Bush and Mike Tippets all playing for the club
before turning professional at Eastville. Former Rovers favourite Bobby
Jones was one of many successful Oldland managers, a list which
includes David Hillier.

Abbots rose to heady heights under the leadership of Alan Bush in the
1980's with the help of former Rovers players Jeff Meacham, the late
Steve Talboys (Wimbledon) plus Rovers favourites Graham Day, Peter
Aitken and Phil Bater. Among other youngsters who left Abbots to play
for Rovers were Stuart Taylor, Phil Kite and Kevin Westawayan Truckle
will be looking at this as a platform to push onwards for the forthcoming
season.